An organization charged with investigating claims of racial discrimination for more than 40 years has come under scrutiny by local officials, but one commissioner says the organization is too important to abolish completely.

The Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission was established in 1974 by the city of Pensacola and Escambia County to promote fair treatment and equal opportunity for all Escambia County citizens regardless of race, color, sex, gender, religion, age, national origin or disability. Now, the Escambia County Commission wants to restructure the organization in the wake of a report by the Escambia County Clerk's office.

At an Escambia County Commission meeting Thursday, Commission Chairman Lumon May said over the years, the organization has been important in the African-American community.

"There would not be an MLK parade," May said. "It was initiated on the bottom of Spring Street by the Pensacola Human Relations (Commission)."

May said that while there was evidence in the clerk's report that proper oversight was lacking, there was still a need for the organization.

"The mission has not stopped because discrimination has not stopped," May said. "Racism has not stopped. Unfair housing has not stopped. Blighted communities have not stopped, and so, that has been the mission of human relations for 40-plus years. It continues to be the mission."

In June, the Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller completed a "monitoring report" of the organization that receives more than $180,000 in local and federal funding.

The report said the EPHRC had distributed "community relations" dollars to friends and family members, ignored statutorily mandated reporting and transparency obligations, and resolved just seven client complaints in roughly two and a half fiscal years.

The clerk's report recommended the organization be defunded and abolished.

"It doesn't seem like the audit is being used the way an audit is intended to be used," Nolde-Martin said. "An audit is intended to identify issues and address them."

EPHRC Executive Director Rebecca Hale told the County Commission on Thursday that the organization has reached out to the county and city but had not been able to get officials to participate.

"Now mind you, the work that we do is not the feel-good," Hale said. "No, it's not because when people come to us, they are not having a good day. However, when they meet us, they will at least know that someone is going to address their concerns."

Hale said the county works closely with other local boards but hasn't shown any interest in the Human Relations Commission.

"I do not think I would be sitting here right now if there was a better working relationship," Hale said. "It would be nice if I could get a return phone call."

County Commissioners Steven Barry and Doug Underhill were open to that possibility, with Underhill favoring bringing the role of the organization into the county and Barry favoring finding a new independent organization to take over the role.

May said the clerk's report shows evidence there was at least the appearance of improprieties on the EPHRC, and Hale shouldn't use it as an opportunity to say the EPHRC isn't getting direction from the county, but he argued the county has not been as involved as it should've been.

"We have lacked on our engagement no matter how we look at it," May said. "No matter how we look at it administratively and in a management position, we're funding an organization that's a mandate. This is not an outside agency funding (like) Council on Aging. It is something that is critical to our housing program. So it's no doubt that we should've had someone through the neighborhood enterprise division at every meeting. We probably should've had legal at every meeting."

May proposed having the board restructured with new board members while giving the current board members the opportunity to reapply.

The county will also be seeking an opinion from the Florida attorney general on whether a sitting county commissioner or city council member can sit on the EPHRC even if they have to be a non-voting member.

That opinion is expected back in early 2019.

The other commissioners agreed with May's proposal and agreed to continue funding the EPHRC until April to work through the transition.

"We'll do a smooth transition and something that will work for the good of the community," May said.

Nolde-Martin told the News Journal Friday she was unaware of the county's decision to restructure the board and declined to comment on the issue until she knew more.